Bears’ Henry Melton making most of his opportunity

Thursday

Sep 29, 2011 at 12:01 AMSep 29, 2011 at 5:57 AM

The least recognizable Bear defensive lineman is the one making most of the plays. Like he was taught, he gives a lot of the credit to his teammates. But defensive tackle Henry Melton has a new attitude this year, and it’s showing up in his frequent visits to the opponent’s backfield.

Jay Taft

LAKE FOREST — The least recognizable Bear defensive lineman is the one making most of the plays.

Like he was taught, he gives a lot of the credit to his teammates. But defensive tackle Henry Melton has a new attitude this year, and it’s showing up in his frequent visits to the opponent’s backfield.

“Flat out, when (Julius) Peppers and Izzy (Israel Idonije) get a lot of attention on the outside, it frees me up on the inside,” said Melton, now the starter at the defensive tackle spot known as the 3-technique. “But I do have a different attitude toward everything this year. I know my role, I know what’s expected of me, and I want to go out there and do it every week.”

Melton spent his rookie year of 2009 on injured reserve, then got in for limited action last year at both inside and outside lineman. Just before the lockout pushed all the players out the door, Melton got word that he would get his chance to start as the 3-technique lineman in the Bears 4-3 defense. His short talk with the Bears coaches sure changed the way he spent his summer.

“When they asked me if I wanted to play 3-tech, and if I wanted to be a starter in this league, I said: ‘Heck yea, I’m ready,’” Melton said. “They asked if I wanted to take on that role, and I accepted it. Then I started to get my mind and my body right in the offseason.”

The 6-foot-3, 295-pounder had played in all 16 games in 2010, making 17 tackles while giving a taste of what he can do as a pass rusher with 2 1/2 sacks. In three games as a starter this year, he’s already surpassed that.

Last week Melton had his third sack of the season, a tackle for a loss, two total tackles and two quarterback pressures.

“I don’t know about a different attitude or anything like that,” Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said of Melton. “But I sure see him making a lot of plays.”

Melton started off strong, with a pair of sacks and six QB pressures in his first game as a starter, a 30-12 win over Atlanta. But in Week 2 he had nothing but a single hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees. The rest of the defense didn’t do much either.

“I just consider it maybe a bad week at the office,” defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli said. “And we can’t wait to get back to the next week.”

Though the Bears lost 21-14 to Green Bay last week, the defense played better. So did the entire defensive line. But, to Melton: “It really doesn’t matter how well you play or what the stats say, as long as you look up at the scoreboard at the end of the game and we’re not on top. None of that really matters.”
Melton has strengthened his body and his knowledge of the game a lot the past year, he insists. His teammates have seen a change as well.

He leads the team in sacks and is second in QB pressures (nine). With Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers coming to town Sunday, Melton and the rest of the Bears defense know they will be tested in a whole new way this time.

“You’ve got to swarm, and he doesn’t like going down, so you’ve got to be really conscious when you’re going after that,” Idonije said. “You’ve got to hit him and knock him over... We’ve got guys that will get to him.”

Melton believes he’ll be one of them.

“I have that plan every week,” he added. “My job is to get in there and get him down, and that’s what I intend to do every Sunday. This one is no different.”

Bears reporter Jay Taft can be reached at 815-987-1384 or jtaft@rrstar.com.